Great Violin Concertos

Great Violin Concertos

Hong Kong Sinfonietta

City Hall Concert Hall

The warm reception given to Daishin Kashimoto's performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto was justified on a number of counts.

The extensive first movement can drag, but not with conductor Yip Wing-sie thinking in longer, more urgent lines. Kashimoto showed a similar sense of freedom, more often applying rubato to press forward rather than wallow in restraint.

It wasn't a journey of endless subtleties. Kashimoto's richly confident sound dominated the opening 25 minutes, supported by a technical assurance that produced a virtuosity that was so powerful it made you realise how infrequently it's played like this nowadays. The sudden melt to subdued tones created a magic that lingered into the slow movement.